Anxiety Attack Medication Types and the Side Effects-The anti-anxiety drug most recommended by experts for immediate recovery is a drug known as benzodiazepines; among them are alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium), and lorazepam (Ativan)
Anxiety means fear and worry feelings. It feels uneasy and in some stage it is normal. However, when it occurs intensively and persistently, it leads to an anxiety disorder. The anxiety disorder needs to have certain therapy and specific medications prescribed by the doctor.
The therapy used is usually cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is also combined with another kind of therapy. Basically, the medication of anxiety has several types and also comes with side effects which should be considered by the patient. Here is further discussion about anxiety attack medication based on the types and side effects.
Types of Anxiety Medication
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Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Doctors prescribe this medication for treating antidepressant and anxiety. It reduces the reabsorption in the brain of the chemicals norepinephrine and serotonin. The medications which include SNRIs are venlafaxine (Effexor XR) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). It takes some weeks to get a significant effect.
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
This also includes an antidepressant and usually, doctors prescribe it for OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). In some articles, SSRIs are mentioned as the number-one line treatment for anxiety through medication. It works by preventing the nerve cells in the brain from reabsorbing serotonin that plays an important role in mood flow.
The examples of SSRIs are sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), or paroxetine (Seva, Paxil). This medicine will show the effects after 2 until 6 weeks. Generally, people take SSRIs until a year for anxiety treatment and reduce the dosage gradually.
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Benzodiazepines
It is a sedative drug that decreases the physical symptoms for anxiety, such as tense muscles. It leads to relaxation and the effects will occur immediately. The examples are lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium). They are effective for temporary, but it is not suggested for daily consumption. Some people take this medicine before their flight to overcome short-term anxiety. For anxiety disorder, people take a benzodiazepine with SSRIs for a couple of weeks until the SSRIs show some effect.
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Tricyclic antidepressants (TCSs)
TCAs are an old drug which is effective for treating anxiety and depression. Although many doctors today prescribe SSRIs due to its minimum side effects, TCAs are still used for an alternative if other medications do not work. The examples of TCAs are imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), amitriptyline (Elavil).
Other supporting anxiety attack medications are Beta-blockers (Tenormin, Inderal), Monoamine oxidase inhibitors/MAOIs (Emsam, Parnate, Marplan, Nardil), Buspirone/BuSpar.
Side Effects of Antidepressants
Whatever antidepressant you take, there must be potential side effects. Some of them are intolerable after some weeks if it happens to go seeing your doctor. Here are the side effects of each medication:
- SNRIs: headache, constipation, dizzy, drowsy, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, high blood pressure, more sweating, sleep problem, erectile dysfunction, weight gain.
- SSRIs: dry mouth, blurry sight, restless feeling, dizzy, drowsy, weight gain, headache, nausea, erectile dysfunction, sleep problem, uncomfortable stomach.
- Benzodiazepines: loss of concentration/memory, headache, blurry vision, dizzy, confusion, drowsy, problems with speech, balance, coordination, fatigue, upset stomach.
- TCAs: low blood pressure, lightheadedness, urinating problem, constipation, more sweating, weight loss/gain, tremors, sexual problem, increase in appetite, dry mouth.
Pay attention to the side effects and always consult with the doctor for your anxiety attack medication.do not forget to visit the Depression Treatment article at Home, so that you can overcome your depression problems.
